Electric switch



May 4 1926.

G. w. LIEBERUM ELECTRIC swn cn Filed Feb. 6, 1924 Inventor GeorgeLieberum',

Patented May 4, 1926.

UNITED STATES GEORGE W-LIEBERUM, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TOGENERAL ELEC- I TRIO COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application filed February a, 1924. Serial No. 691,040.

To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE \V. LIEBERUM, a citizen of the 'UnitedStates, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield, State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric Switches, of which the. following is a specification. v Thepresent invention relates to electric switches and more especially tothe double action rotary type of snap switches,

This type of switch is usually designed with one off or open circuitposition of its movable pole member, and a plurality of closed circuitpositions thereof so that electric current may be delivered by means ofthe switch to any one or several of a group of translating devices, suchas heater coils or electrolier lamps, or wholly disconnected therefromby rotary movement of the switch handle, and by reason of the doubleaction feature thereof the pole member may be moved in either directionto the nearest desired operating position.

The object of.my invention is to provide an improved double actionrotary snap switch which shall be composed of few parts and of lowmanufacturing cost and be at the same time of sturdy construction andnot liable to become inoperative through severe and extended use. I

One embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing inwhich Fig. 1 is a plan view of a double action snap switch with the capand handle parts omitted; Fig.

2 is a vertical section thereof taken on line 2-2 of F 1g. 1; Flg. 3 1sa vertical section of the .movable parts taken on line 33 of Fig.

1; Fig. 4. is a perspective view of the movable parts, except theshaft,shown disassembled; Fig. 5 is a perspective. view of the actuatingshaftand the spring, and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the stop plate, holdingdetent and eccentric connectlons between the detent and shaft.

tached to the stop plate 9 which is anchored to its seat in a recess 10in the upper surface of the base 1 by a nut 11 threaded on the lower endof the quill 7 and pressing against a lock washer 12 in engagement withthe under surface of the base.

The stop plate 9 in the present instance has four equally spaced stoplugs 13 turned upwardly at its respective corners.

The stationary contact posts 5 are .pro-

vided as usual with binding screws 14: whereby the conductors areconnected.

The operating shaft 8 has rigidly connected to intermediate jpointsthereof two" crank plates 15 with op ositely directed lugs 16. Betweenthe cran plates the shaft is loosely surrounded by a bushing 17 and thelatter is loosely'surrounded by a helical spring 18 with its ends 19turned radially outward to bear against the opposed crank lugs 16. I

-A supporting plate 20 for the pole pieces 21 and 22 is freely mountedon the shaft 8 just beneath the lower crank plate 15 and an eccentric 23is rigidly attached to the shaft beneath the lower crank plate 15, asindi cated'in Figs. 2 and 3.

The eccentric 23 freely enters a central aperture in theinner end of asliding detent 24 having its operative end of a width corresponding tothe space between any two adjacent stop lugs 13 and an upturned finger25 is provided at the center of the op erative end for engagement in aradial slot 26 in the supporting plate 20 whereby the" washer 28.

The supporting plate 20 of the movable pole member is provided with twoupward- 1yl extending parallel studs 29 withbearing s oulders 30. neartheir lower ends. The pole pieces 21 and 22 are each composed of a pairof phosphor bronze punchings 31 with three radial contact arms 32 andeach pair is centrally bound between two plates of insulation 33reinforced by metal washers 34. The pole pieces 21 and22 have intcrposedbetween them a disk 35 of insulation and a second disk 36 is positionedabove the upper pole piece 22 to serve as arcing barriers. The polepieces and the barrier disks 35 and 36 are punched with relatively largecenter apertures 37 'to provide for the ready reception therein of theoperatin shaft 8 and its cranks 15 and four space 10 spacing of thestuds 29 so that they may be assembled'in desired relation thereon. Aclamping plate 39 having its ends apertured to receive the ends of thestuds 29 is assembled on top the upper barrier disk 36 and the studsheaded over, as indicated in Fig. 3, to secure the pole pieces 21 and 22and the supporting plate together as a unit. The clamping plate 39 isprovided with a folded-over arm 40 having a hole 41 formed therein toreceive and bear upon the shaft 8 above the upper crank plate 15.

' The upper spring end 19 normally bears against an edge'of the arm 40while the lower spring end 19 normally bears against one of the studs29;;

Referring to Figs. 1 and 5, it will be evident that when the shaft 8isyturned clockwise: the upper crank 15 will cause a correspondingmovement of the upper spring end 19 whilethe'supporting plate 20 and allparts carried thereby are held against rotary movement by the detent 24which is in engagement with a lug 13 and thus effecting a winding up ortensioning ofthe spring 18 until the eccentric 23 has moved with theshaft through a sufficient angle to have retracted' the operative end ofthe detent from its engagement with the instant stop lug 13 whereuponthe spring reacts to throw the movable pole member with a snap actionuntil arrested by the detent engaging the next succeeding stop lug 13.

WVhen the shaft 8 is rotated counter clockwise, the lower crank 15causes a correspond- 4 5=ing movement of the lower spring end 19 whilethe upper end is held stationary by its engagement with thearm 40 untilthe detent 24 is retracted out of engagement with the instant stop lug13 whereupon the 60 "movable pole member is thrown by a snap action inthat direction.

In the construction shown in the drawing, the pole member is adapted tobe moved into' four functioning positions and accordholes 38corresponding diagonally to 1 the 85 ingly the stop plate 9 is providedwith fourstop lugs 13, but any other number of operating positions ofthe pole member would be caredfor by providing the stop plate with thecorresponding number of equally spaced lugs 13. By.pr0portioning theoperativeend of the detent 24 substantially to fill the space betweenany two stop lugs. 13, the movable member of the switch is definitelypositioned in .v whichever direction the switch is? operated and backlash is by Letters Patent of'the United States is:

1.x In'a double action snap switch, the combination ofan insulatingbase, a plate providedwith spaced stops anchored to said ibase,' an;operating shaft journalled centralj' ly'o'f saidqspaced stopsandprovided wlth .not to be restricted thereto.-

tuo'crank projections, a movable pole member journalled. upon saidshaft, a spring surrounding said shaft within said pole member andengaging at both ends with said crank projections and with said movfable pole member, a detent slidably engaging said pole member and havingits operative end of a Width to enter the space between any two of saidstops-'vw'ith limited clearance, and an eccentric fixed; to said shaftandengaging an aperture in the inner end of said detent. I

-2. In a double action combination of a base, spaced. stops fixed tosaid base, an operating shaft journaled snap switchp'the'.

centrally'ofsaid stops, two crank projections fixed to said shaft atspaced points longitudinally thereof, a helical spring surrounding saidshaft between said crank projections and having its ends bent outwardlynormally to engage the respective crank projections, a movable polemember centrally apertured to receive the said spring therein, meansprojecting from opposite sides of said pole member for journaling itupon said shaft above and below saidcrank projections and provided withshoulders for normally engaging the bent ends of said spring outside.said pole member, and detent means adapted to engage and disengage saidspaced stops, f

In witness whereof, I. have hereunto set my hand this fourth day ofFebruary 1924.

GEO. W. LIEBERUM.

